Rectangular packing for wire line oil savers



Nov. 15, 1960 D. SCARAMUCCI 2,960,357

RECTANGULAR PACKING FOR WIRE LINE OIL SAVERS Filed June 27, 1'95! 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flaw 12 Jmzamyaaz BY DQLQM ATTORNEYS Nov. 15,1960 D. SCARAMUCCI 2,960,357

RECTANGULAR PACKING FOR WIRE LINE OIL SAVERS Filed June 27, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VE NTOR 2701mm! J nzzazzn'zz 1.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent RECTANGULAR PACKENG FOR WEE LINE OILSAVERS Domer Scaramucci, PLO. Box 4446, Oklahoma Qity, Okla.

Filed June 27, 1957, Ser. No. 668,497

3 Claims. (Cl. 286-16) This invention relates to packing devices for awire line introduced into an oil or gas well, and more particularly topackings of the split block type adapted to be mounted in a rectangularhousing having adjusting means to force the blocks in opposition againstthe wire line to pack if off against gas leakage and against fluidwithdrawal when the line is hauled out of the well.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved packing of the split block type.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apacking of the split block type in which the half blocks are channelledto fit and so arranged that they fully embrace the wire and yet have noparts which interfere with the movements of the half blocks toward eachother as they are advanced to compensate for wear thereof by the wiremovement, and yet do not permit the seepage of liquid or gas into thehousing of the packing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a unique style ofpacking of the split block type in which each half block includes asolid portion grooved on the front face to fit the wire, having athickness equal to the diameter of the wire, and a plurality of ribs ofrectangular cross-section formed on each side thereof, each pair of ribsbeing spaced apart by a channel one rib in width, and staggered inrelation to the ribs and spaces on the coextensive side of the opposingblock, whereby the ribs interfit so that as the wire wears away thegroove Walls, and hence the full width of the said solid portion, theribs do not interfere with maintaining the groove walls in contact withthe wire at all times, but interleave with each other adjacent andbeyond the wire in both directions of block movement.

A unique feature of the half blocks with the ribbed and channelled sidesis the closing of the grooves at and near the outer or rear ends of theblocks, i.e. opposite to the wire grooves, whereby oil seeping throughthe crevices where the channels receive the ribs is prevented fromescaping past the ends of the half blocks and entering the housing fromwhich it may readily escape.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will be moreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of theaccompanying drawings and following specification, wherein is discloseda single exemplary embodiment of the invention with the understandingthat such changes and variations may be made therein as fall within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partially in horizontal section on line 11 ofFigure 2, of a wire line oil saver fitted with packing devicesconstructed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the wire line oil saver of, Figure 1,parts of the casing being broken away to better illustrate the packingdevices;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pair of the packing 2,960,357Patented Nov. 15, 1960 devices or half blocks arranged for interlockingcooperation about a wire line;

Figure 4 is an inner end elevation of one of the packing devices or halfblocks; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of one of the packing blocks.

Referring now to the drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 illustrate acomplete oil saver, for use with packing constructed in accordance withthe present invention, threaded into place in a well head 10 by means ofan integral threaded extension 12 from the two-part metal housing 13 ofthe oil saver. As seen in Figure 1 the housing is vertically splittransversely thru the center at 15 and flanges 16 on each section aresecured together by appropriate through-bolts and oil and gas tightpacking means if necessary. The dividing line shown at 15 extends fromtop to bottom of the assembly and through the tubular threaded portion12, whereby the housing may be removed from or assembled around a wireline 18, in the form of a steel cable used for introducing cleaningtools, recording instruments and the like into the casing, not shown, ofan oil well.

It is a purpose of the device to seal against the escape of gas, fluidsor other materials from the well, both when the cable and its load isbeing lowered or raised, and for this purpose the packing, indicatedgenerally at 2%, is adjustable about and closely engages the surface ofthe cable and that of the inner walls of chamber 21 in the housing 13 inwhich the packing fits tightly.

The chamber 21 within the housing is rectangular in horizontal sectionand in longitudinal and transverse vertical section as seen in thefigures. The ends of the housing are open and are intended to be closedby cover plates 23, one at either end, which are secured by bolts asshown to outstanding flanges 24 integral with the housing parts.

Follower plates 25, one at each end, are sized to slide freely in thetransverse sectional area of the housing. They are adapted to be forcedinwardly toward the cable by means of jack screws 26, one threaded thrueach cover plate and each fitted with a hinged handle 27 as shown forfacilitating its manipulation.

The housing structure just described is already well known, but isnormally used with packing devices in the form of rectangularparallelepipeds, one block on each side of cable 18 and between it andthe follower plate 25. Such blocks are initially grooved on theirforward faces to one half the configuration of the cable, and since thewidth of the chamber 21 as viewed in Figure 1 is somewhat greater thanthe diameter of the cable, the forward edges of the blocks meet on anextension of a transverse diameter of the latter forming a fluid tightjoint. They also are fitted tightly against the inner walls 28 of thehousing and against the upper and lower walls 29 and 30 thereof. Underthese circumstances with everything new and tight-fitting any gas orfluid attempting to escape would be prevented since there were noseepage openings for leakage laterally or vertically. However, as soonas movement of the cable begins there is wear on the material of thepacking blocks aided and abetted by abrasive sand and the like drawn upby movement of the cable. As the wear commences, the bore of the blocksformed of the two half grooves, becomes larger than the diameter of thecable and there is a chance for leakage out around the upper aperture 34through which the cable passes. Efforts to prevent this leakage byscrewing up on the jack screws 26 and forcing the blocks closer togetheris hindered by the meeting of the leading edges of the two blocks whichremain intact and must be forced aside and deformed by extreme pressuresof the jack screws to compress the remaining portions of the rubber tofit the surface of the moving cable. Obviously there is a limit to theamount of movement which can be imparted to the follower plates tocompress the packing blocks to produce this action and soon permanentleakage occurs and the wiper blocks must be replaced.

In accordance with the present invention an improved form of wiperblocks is provided usable in the same housing and with the samefollowers. For this substitution usage each block, as generallyindicated in Figure 3, is provided on its rear face 31 with a halfcylindrical rib 32 to fit in the corresponding channel 33 in thefollower block 25, although obviously this is a refinement which is notabsolutely necessary.

The new packing or wiper block halves indicated generally by thereference character 35 are identical mouldings, as seen in Figure 3.When one is rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis it acts in matingunison with the other to properly surround and seal off the wire and toengage the inner walls of the chamber in the housing. Viewed in thelight of the solid wall blocks previously referred to, the new ones areprovided with a plurality of channels 36 in each side thereof andpreferably these channels are of the same number on each side but arestaggered in position on opposite sides. Thus the channels, one at thetop of each of the two sections remove portions of the upper faces 37 ofthe blocks but on opposite sides thereof, while similar channels on theopposite side of each block act correspondingly with the bottom faces.The remaining channels on each side of each block are spaced from theupper one or lower edge one and from each other by a rib 38 integralwith the block and of a width to closely fill the channel to which it isopposed.

Each of the channels 36 extends less than the full length of its blockand is terminated by a fiat-face 39 adapted to be abutted, aftersufficient groove wear, by the flat end face 38 of the rib which fits inthis channel.

The ends of the ribs project only a short distance beyond the materialof the block as seen in Figure 5, outlining in plan an aperture orgroove 40 (Figure slightly greater than one half of a circle and theends of the ribs are thickened to provide ridged tips 41 which partiallysurround the material of the wire line, their purpose being to ensuretight fit against the bottom walls of the channels 36 as the blocks areforced together after wear deepens the grooves 40. Under thesecircumstances the rib ends freed by the deepening of the grooves 40extend farther and farther into the channels, sealing at all timesagainst all walls thereof to ensure against leakage of fluid or gaslongitudinally of the channels. Should there be any leakage, however,due to looseness of fit it cannot extend beyond the walls 37 since thecontinuous side walls 42 of the blocks closely engage the inner walls 28of the housing between which they fit tightly and prevent any leakagebeyond the ends of the block.

Since the ribs extending as fingers from one block fit in voids orchannels in the other it would appear that the two blocks are unlike,but actually they are identical and produced from the same mold. To makea matching set one block is turned over or rotated about a horizontalaxis. In general it may be stated that on each side of the packing onehalf of the rubber section in the path of the overlap is removed, thusproviding space to accommodate an equal portion on the other block asthe two are moved toward each other as the wire line Wears away rubberdirectly in its path. It will'be seen that the thickness of each rib orfinger is equivalent to the distance from the circumference of the wireline to the surface 28 of the inner wall of the compartment in which itfits. Under these circumstances, excess edge material which normally hasto be dissipated by deforming so as to provide engagement with themoving line is eliminated and the difiiculties with the solid blocks asdefined above do not occur.

When surrounding a wire line and properly enclosed on both sides, topand bottom, except at wire line openings, fluid entering the loweropening adherent to the wire line as it is lifted cannot traverse thefingers but is wiped clean by contact with them and their blocks.Neither can the liquid or gas travel parallel to the fingers past theends of the blocks to the voids at their outer ends because of theclosing solid section 42 at the end of each side and face of the blockwhich closely engages the housing chamber walls. Under all circumstancesrubber completely surrounds the wire line in that as wear progresses theoverlapping fingers remain intact, their unattached portions becominglonger and longer and eventually their ends engage the rear walls 39 ofthe grooves or channels of the opposite block. Then the blocks are theequivalent of solid elements and thereafter may be used, at least aslong as the originally wholly solid blocks earlier described byappropriate deformation under continuous pressure from the jack screws.Under these circumstances the life of the blocks herein disclosed isinfinitely longer than those of the solid character, whereas leakage isprevented completely with much less pressure applied by the jack screwsand no deformation of the material of the blocks is necessary until theends of the fingers on one bottom against the ends of the channels inthe other.

Obviously the size, shape and proportions of the mating blocks and theircomponents may be varied and adjusted as desired for any particular use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A split block type of packing for the rectangular housing of a Wireline oil saver or the like having means to engage and advance the blockstoward the line, including in combination; a pair of like half blocks ofresilient material each having a main portion with flat, parallel sidesurfaces spaced apart a distance equal to the diameter of the wire line;the leading edge of said portion being channelled to fit said line andthe opposite rear edge being shaped to fit said block advancing means;each said side having integral ribs thereon above the surface thereof,extending from the leading edge toward the opposite edge, so spacedapart in the direction of the wire length and shaped in cross-section asto provide channels therebetween having the same size and cross-sectionas the ribs whereby ribs and channels of facing half blocks interfit,the said half blocks having integral material closing the spaces betweenribs on both faces thereof adjacent only the said rear edges andextending to the plane of the rib tops.

2. A packing member for a Wire line or the like comprising a block ofrubber-like material having parallel top and bottom edges; a rearpushing edge normal to the parallel edges and a front edge deeplygrooved to fit the surface of a wire line; the planes of the sides ofsaid block being parallel to each other and normal to said top andbottom edges and spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter ofthe wire line, the sides of said block being indented alternately withchannels parallel to said top and bottom, each pair of channels or oneface being spaced by a'rib, the distance between the planes of thebottoms of channels on opposite faces being equal to the wire diameterand the channels and intervening ribs being of the same cross-sectionaldimensions, said channels extending to the said grooved edge but beingclosed at the rear edges by integral material having plane surfacescoextensive with the plane of the sides of the block.

3. For use with a housing for a wire line wiper having spaced planeparallel side Walls, spaced plane parallel top and bottom Wallscentrally perforated to pass a wire line and adjustable end closures; apair of opposed rubber like blocks filling the housing from top tobottom and each having a grooved forward face to fit the line, and anoverall thickness greater than the line diameter and sufficient toclosely engage the housing side walls; the side faces of each blockcomprising alternate ribs and channels of similar cross-sectionextending parallel to said housing top and bottom walls; said ribs oneach block extending as tongues beyond the grooved face of the block andinterfitting with those on the opposed block to enter the channelsthereof as the grooves are worn by line friction and the blocks advancedby said end closures; said channels terminating short of the rear faceof each block whereby the rear border of each side face thereof has acontinuous surface to engage the corresponding side wall of the housingin a fluid-tight manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSleeper June 17, Scott May 30, Stephens et a1. Dec. 23, Jones May 22,Skinner Sept. 30,

